McDonald’s Urges Shareholders to Vote Against Nutrition Report

McDonald’s shareholders will vote on a proposal for a nutrition report during the 2013 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting today. Shareholder John Harrington initiated this proposal to call for an investigation into whether McDonald’s nutritional initiatives are effective in preventing a loss in sales. In their proxy statement, the Board of Directors advised shareholders to vote against a proposal.

Shareholders in the past were also concerned about the impact of the rise in childhood obesity and the health issues associated with fast food consumption on the company. In the 2012 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, however, 69% of shareholders voted against a proposal for a nutrition report.

This year’s voting results may be the same. The board urged shareholders to vote against the proposal, saying that the nutrition report is “unnecessary and redundant.” They referred to their past public reports about the predicted effect of health and public policy on their company and their discussions with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the company’s risk factors.

“We are not only mindful of the ongoing focus on children’s nutrition, we are an active participant in those efforts and discussions,” they added.